Day 329 Bible Reading - 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

Ezekiel 47-48, 1 Peter 4, Proverbs 19:13-22

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

In 1 Peter 4:8, the apostle Peter writes to believers in modern-day Turkey who were experiencing persecution and suffering. He teaches them about love as the greatest commandment taught by Christ. In the original Greek version of the Bible, the word love came from the Greek word “agape.” Agape love equates to selfless and sacrificial love, which reflects the love Christ showed us through his death and resurrection. Christ called love the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-39) because love has the power of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Given this context, Peter tells believers that love is a deliberate choice and action that helps maintain harmony in relationships. When believers show love to others, they reflect Father-God’s loving and forgiving nature and grace. Peter’s teaching that love “covers a multitude of sins” does not mean that a believer ignores wrongdoing. Instead, it means a believer chooses forgiveness and reconciliation to reflect the grace God the Father has shown to them. To love doesn’t just mean having loving thoughts towards those who have wronged us. A believer must express love with tangible actions, such as serving others, offering forgiveness, and seeking peace.

This biblical principle has practical applications in my life. When a person has wronged me, I pray to God the Father to help me know how to forgive that person and love them, in the way the Lord wants me to show love to them. I ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit to help me deal with my anger, resentment, and any other feelings that come up. I don’t want my anger to consume my thoughts and emotions, so I offer the situation to the Lord for His guidance. It can happen instantly, or it might take time, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, I can reach a place of peace and have my actions reflect the forgiveness and reconciliation I now feel towards the person who wronged me.

Does this verse resonate with you? If you feel compelled to place your faith in Jesus Christ, who can guide you to show love to all people—even those who have wronged you—this could be your moment. Open your heart to Him, speak to Him in the following prayer, and express your trust in Him. Share your desire to walk with Him and welcome His presence into your life. God is faithful and ready to meet you wherever you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 328 Bible Readings - 1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV)

Ezekiel 45-46, 1 Peter 3, Proverbs 19:1-12

1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV)

In 1 Peter 3:3-4, Peter writes to Christian women scattered throughout modern-day Turkey, addressing the difference between inner and outer beauty. The women he addressed were not so different from women today. In the Greco-Roman world, a woman’s outward adornment was often a sign of social status and wealth; women spent hours braiding their hair and coveting gold jewelry and fine clothes. While hairstyles and fashions have changed, women today still spend hours beautifying themselves and desiring fine attire.

Peter reminds women that the source of their beauty must be their inner selves. As believers in Christ, their true appearance should reflect virtue and character. Women, like men, need to ask themselves daily: “Does my lifestyle reflect my Christian beliefs? Does my appearance honor the Lord?”

I do not believe Peter was telling Christian women to neglect their hair or avoid nice clothes. Rather, he was concerned about an obsession with external appearance, which was often linked to social status and wealth. An excessive fixation on the exterior can lead to vanity, pride, and greed. Christ taught His believers to store their treasures in heaven, not on earth. A Christian’s treasure should not consist of material possessions, such as jewelry or clothes.

Christ reminded His followers that life is temporary, and so is our physical appearance. He described Himself as “gentle and humble in heart,” and these are the inner qualities Christian women need to cultivate daily. We must focus on whether our conduct pleases God the Father rather than seeking the world’s approval of our image.

These verses remind me that, as much as I love wearing nice clothing and jewelry, my priority must be thoughts and behaviors that please the Lord. Do my actions reflect the gentle and humble spirit of Christ? When I follow the Lord’s plan for my life, my efforts bear fruit, and I experience His blessings.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel compelled to place your faith in Jesus Christ, who has a plan for your life filled with His blessings—this could be your moment. Open your heart to Him, speak to Him in prayer, and express your trust. Share your desire to walk with Him and welcome His presence into your life. God is faithful and ready to meet you wherever you are.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel prompted to place your faith in Jesus Christ, who has a plan for your life filled with His blessings—this could be your moment. Open your heart to Him, speak to Him through the following prayer, and express your trust in Him. Share your desire to walk with Him and welcome His presence into your life. God is faithful and ready to meet you wherever you are.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 327 Bible Readings – Proverbs 18:17 (ESV)

Ezekiel 43-44, 1 Peter 2, Proverbs 18:17-24

Proverbs 18:17 (ESV)

“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”

In Proverbs 18:17, Solomon advises believers on how to treat information that comes to us initially. In a dispute or debate, the first person to present their case often seems right—at least until the other side is heard and all parties are cross-examined. Hearing multiple perspectives and testing each claim leads to a fair and accurate judgment.

These verses feel especially important in our age of social media. Information spreads quickly, and as Solomon reminds us, believers need discernment. We cannot accept everything we read online as true. Instead, we must gather all the information before reaching a conclusion. We need to understand the context of what we read and consider other perspectives before accepting something as truth. And if the information involves moral or spiritual claims, believers must run it through a biblical lens to determine whether it aligns with the Lord’s teachings.

I love watching live debates and then listening to the different opinions afterward. People often have wildly different takeaways, and it makes me wonder if we even watched the same event. One of the most important lessons I learned in college was never to rely on secondhand information—always read the original source. Verifying what you hear or read is exactly what Solomon instructs us to do in this verse. When believers follow the Lord’s principles of fairness and careful judgment, they grow in discernment and gain the ability to recognize truth in all things.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel compelled to place your faith in Jesus Christ, who gives wisdom and discernment to judge all things with fairness and justice—this could be your moment. Open your heart to Him, speak to Him through the following prayer, and express your trust in Him. Share your desire to walk with Him and welcome His presence into your life. God is faithful and ready to meet you wherever you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 326 Bible Readings - 1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV)

Ezekiel 41 & 42, 1 Peter 1, Proverbs 18:7-16

1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV)

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

In 1 Peter 1:14–16, Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, writes to believers in modern-day Turkey about how to live faithfully in a pagan culture. He reminds them that they are children of the Lord and are in a covenant relationship with Him. As children of Father-God, they are called to obey Him because the grace of Jesus Christ has saved them. Peter urges believers to reject their former passions—the desires that shaped their lives before they met Christ. Father-God commands believers to reflect His holiness in how they live. When Christ saved them, He transformed both their character and their conduct. To be “holy” means the Lord has set believers apart for His purposes. Holiness is choosing to align one’s behavior with the character of Christ so that His love is reflected to the world.

I sometimes struggle with the idea of living in holiness, but over the years I’ve realized that holiness often looks like treating others the way I want to be treated. I don’t steal because I wouldn’t want someone to steal from me. I abstain from alcohol so I don’t lose control of myself—a lack of control that once led me to poor decisions. I know what I said and did when I drank in excess, and I don’t want to return to the consequences of that former life, where my sharp tongue hurt both myself and others. Living in holiness requires me to live differently than society, but I know I am happier when my life aligns with the Lord’s will than when I resist it. Father-God has a plan for my life that fits exactly how He created me. I no longer feel like a “square trying to fit into a round hole.” Instead, following the Lord’s plan makes me feel like a puzzle piece placed perfectly in His design for the world.

If these verses resonate with you—if you feel prompted to place your faith in Jesus Christ, who created you perfectly for the role He designed you to fulfill—this could be your moment. Open your heart to Him, speak to Him through the following prayer, and express your trust in Him. Share your desire to walk with Him and welcome His presence into your life. God is faithful and ready to meet you wherever you are.

Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit-filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.